John 4:11

11 The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket and the well is deep! From where then do you get this living water?

John 4:11 Meaning and Commentary

John 4:11

The woman saith unto him, Sir
Which was an usual, way in those countries, of addressing men, and especially strangers; and expresses no uncommon respect to Christ, of whose dignity and greatness she was, entirely ignorant; and at whom she was now scoffing; for so the following words are to be understood:

thou hast nothing to draw with;
no pail, or bucket, or rope, to let it down with, as Nonnus adds; for it seems, there was no bucket, or vessel, fastened at the well for the common use, but everyone brought one with them, when they came to draw: though it is strange there was not one; since, according to common usage, and even of the Jews ^F21,

``a public well had, (lwq) , "a bucket", or pitcher; but a private well had no bucket:''

and the well is deep;
that which is now called Jacob's well, is by some said to be forty cubits deep, and by others thirty five yards:

from whence then hast thou that living water?
this she said in a sneering, scoffing manner: she reasoned with him, either that he must have it out of this well; but that could not be, since he had no vessel to draw with, and the well was so deep, that he could not come at the water without one; or he must have it from some neighbouring spring; upon which she scoffs at him in the following manner.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 T. Hieros. Erubin, fol. 20. 2.

John 4:11 In-Context

9 So the Samaritan woman said to him, "How do you, being a Jew, ask from me [water] to drink, [since I] am a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you had known the gift of God and who it is who says to you, 'Give me [water] to drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

11 The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket and the well is deep! From where then do you get this living water?

12 You are not greater than our father Jacob, [are you], who gave us the well and drank from it himself, and his sons and his livestock?"

13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again.